Fernando del Pulgar

Born around 1436 and also known as Hernando del Pulgar, he was a Castilian royal secretary, historian, and writer who served first under Enrique IV of Castile and later under Queen Isabel I. Writing from inside the royal court gave him a close view of the political world he described.

He is especially remembered for Claros varones de Castilla, a collection of lively portraits of leading nobles and public figures, and for his chronicle of the reign of the Catholic Monarchs. His work combines official history with a strong interest in character, which helps his writing feel immediate even centuries later.

Pulgar is thought to have died around 1492. Today he is valued as one of the key prose writers and historians of late medieval Castile, especially for the way he captured both major events and the personalities behind them.